JOHNSON, Larry; HAINLEY, Bruce (ed.)
Commie Pinko Guy

Published on the occasion of the artist’s first major survey exhibition in Europe, Larry Johnson: On Location (curated by Hainley and Antony Hudek at Raven Row), this book features newly commissioned essays by Morgan Fisher, Hainley, Hudek, Wayne Koestenbaum and Lisa Lapinski, as well as reprints of texts by Pleasant Gehman, James McCourt, Boyd McDonald and Duncan Smith.

Commie Pinko Guy aims at offering an accessible overview of the artist’s work, through analyses of some of his main preoccupations: queer politics, the urban landscape of L.A. and Hollywood mythologies. Alongside numerous colour illustrations of Johnson’s artworks spanning his career from the early 1980s to the present, the book also includes images specially selected by the artist from his personal archives and other sources. Among these are photographs by Mel Roberts and from the Athletic Model Guild. This rich visual selection provides a unique perspective on Johnson’s personal connections to queer history, the city of Los Angeles – where he has lived all his life – and to American politics. [publisher’s note]

Published by Koenig Books / Raven Row, 2015
Design by John Morgan Studio
Monographs / Scenes / Queer Culture